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Epicenter Puts in Final Derby Work

Winchell Thoroughbreds' Epicenter (Not This Time) put in his final work ahead of next week's GI Kentucky Derby with a five-furlong drill in 1:01.00 (3/6) at Churchill Downs Sunday. Over a muddy track, exercise rider Roberto Howell piloted the GII Louisiana Derby winner through splits of :12.60, :24.40, :36.20, :48.40 and he galloped out six furlongs in 1:13.80.

“Honestly I have so much confidence in Epicenter right now I don't think you could overdo it [with a horse like him],” trainer Steve Asmussen Sunday. “He has taken a lot of training extremely easy. And I thought he took the Louisiana Derby extremely easy, how he came back from the test barn and walked into the barn, and that's why his training and his works ever since have been faster, or stronger, than is the norm for me.”

Epicenter has been working in company with Gun It (Tapit), but his workmate Sunday was 4-year-old maiden winner Alejandro (Curlin).

“It felt perfect, knowing [Alejandro] and how he goes about what he is doing,” Asmussen said. “His previous workmate, Gun It, is a very strong, very physical horse…somewhat hard to manage, and that brings out a little extra in [Epicenter], especially getting to the pole, getting off, getting away from the pole and what you are getting out of it. And as you saw today, they were away from it a lot smoother, just a lot easier to the pole. Still strong, still very smooth. I think [Epicenter] is in a beautiful rhythm, and we are trying to create the circumstances and prepare for what we are expecting to happen in the races this week.”

Asmussen also sent out GI Kentucky Oaks contender Echo Zulu (Gun Runner) to work Sunday at Churchill. Last year's champion 2-year-old filly champion went four furlongs in :50.80 (33/42).

Echo Zulu ended 2021 with a win in the GI Breeders' Cup Juvenile Fillies and gritted out a win while making her 2022 debut in the Mar. 26 GII Fair Grounds Oaks.

“I thought she won the Fair Grounds Oaks with natural ability and class,” Asmussen said. “She has put in solid training for the Oaks, and then put in a huge move last Sunday. Galloped from there. [Today's work] went typical for her, an easy half mile. I want her razor sharp and fleet as she can be for next Friday.”

Asmussen will be hoping to win his first Kentucky Derby Saturday, but would not admit to feeling any nerves ahead of the race.

“I'm not running. I'm good,” he said. “I am unbelievably excited to be doing this well with this much on the line. I had a pretty anxious drive last night with rain and thunderstorms for most of it, and if it's meant to be, then it's meant to be, but everything seems to be working out perfectly. This year's Oaks and Derby are extremely exciting with how strong the races look and how well all the horses are doing going into it. It is going to be an extremely exciting five or six days.”

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Not This Time Filly Beats Boys, Breaks Track Record in Rising Star Romp

Hoolie Racing Stable and Bruce Lunsford's Botta Swing (Not This Time–Lady of the Glen, by Purim), taking on the boys while looking to carry her sire's hot streak into the juvenile ranks, came out running Sunday, earning 'TDN Rising Star' honors while lowering Woodbine's synthetic track record for 4 1/2 furlongs in the process.

Away in midpack and then scrubbed on to take over with swift strides entering the bend, the chestnut was two clear and cruising midway on the turn as well-backed Ninetyfour Expos (Outwork) was asked to narrow the gap with Wesley Ward trainee Red Hot Rod (Mendelssohn) also in pursuit. Those colts appeared to make contact at the head of the lane, but Botta Swing continued along by herself under confident Patrick Husbands handling. The veteran pilot kept her honest from there, and Botta Swing scampered away four lengths to the good. Red Hot Rod bested Ninetyfour Expos in the battle for second.

The winner's final time of :50.94 bested the previous listed track record of :51 flat earned in 2014 by debut winner and future multiple stakes winner Seffeara (Old Forester). That runner's effort came over Woodbine's old Polytrack surface, which was replaced by Tapeta in 2016.

Hoolie Racing Stable and Botta Swing's conditioner Barbara Minshall also campaigned the brilliantly precocious Dream It Is (Shackleford), a similarly sharp late May debut winner here in 2017 who added the My Dear S. that June before romping by nine lengths in Saratoga's GIII Schuylerville S.

Botta Swing, whose sire will be represented by two very live chances in next Saturday's GI Kentucky Derby, was just a $5,200 KEEJAN '20 in utero purchase. Her dam, who hit the board but never earned her diploma in four maiden claiming attempts routing on the grass, produced an Oscar Performance colt Apr. 11. Botta Swing's second dam was a full to GISW Personal Business, and her fourth dam was a full to none other than Secretariat.

2nd-Woodbine, C$97,600, Msw, 5-1, 2yo, 4 1/2f (AWT), :50.94, ft (NTR), 4 lengths.
BOTTA SWING, f, 2, Not This Time
                1st Dam: Lady of the Glen, by Purim
                2nd Dam: Secret Pact, by Private Account
                3rd Dam: Heavenly Match, by Gallant Romeo
Sales history: $48,000 RNA Ylg '21 FTKFEB; $160,000 Ylg '21 KEESEP. Lifetime Record: 1-1-0-0, $48,088. Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG. Free Equineline.com catalogue-style pedigree.
O-Hoolie Racing Stable, LLC & Bruce Lunsford; B-Kestrel Stud LLC (ON); T-Barbara J. Minshall.

 

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Caravaggio’s First Hong Kong Starter a Winner

The first Hong Kong starter for Coolmore's successful young stallion Caravaggio, Circuit Nine (Ire) closed off strongly down the center of the Sha Tin 1000-meter straight course to cause a 7-1 upset in Sunday's Argonaut Plate for griffins, 2- and 3-year-olds that are unraced prior to their import.

Off as the third choice on debut, Circuit Nine was slowly into stride from gate three and raced in a detached last early as the hot $1.30 (3-10) favorite Glory Bo Bo (Aus) (Deep Field {Aus}) was eased down onto the stands' side rail to make the running. Pulled out widest with a quarter-mile to race, Circuit Nine–trained by Tony Cruz–still had some work to do with time ticking away, but Glory Bo Bo began to shorten stride and the Irish-bred raced right past en route to a 1 3/4-length tally (video).

Bred by Charlie Brooks, Circuit Nine was offered as a foal by The Castlebridge Consignment at Tattersalls December in 2019  and was hammered down to Yeomanstown Stud for 155,000gns. Bought back when bidding stalled out at 130,000gns at the Tattersalls October Yearling Sale in 2020, the gray was purchased by SackvilleDonald for 240,000gns at last year's Tattersalls Craven Breeze-Up (under-tack preview).

Circuit Nine is a half-brother to the Hugo Palmer-trained Wall of Fire (Ire) (Canford Cliffs {Ire}), second in the 2017 G3 Geoffrey Freer S. and runner-up later that season in the G2 Herbert Power S. at Caulfield before finishing unplaced behind Rekindling (GB) (High Chaparral {Ire}) in the G1 Melbourne Cup. Circuit Nine's second dam is G2 Cherry Hinton S. heroine Jewel In the Sand (Ire) (Bluebird).

Caravaggio, winner during his racing days of the G1 Keeneland Phoenix S. at two and the G1 Commonwealth Cup the following season, is now the sire of 41 individual winners from his first crop. That number includes G1 Cheveley Park S. heroine Tenebrism, G2 Debutante S. victress and G1 Moyglare Stud S. runner-up Agartha (Ire) and listed winners Dizzy Bizu (Ire) and 'TDN Rising Star' Her World (Ire). The son of Scat Daddy is standing his second American season at Ashford Stud for $35,000.

 

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Beautiful Empire Streaks Home in Star Shoot

Beautiful Empire (Classic Empire)'s furious kick carried the day for conditioner Mark Casse, rallying from last to lead home a 1-2-3 finish for the Mark Casse barn in a brisk rendition of the Star Shoot S. at Woodbine.

The filly was far back in her first two starts over conventional dirt at Churchill Downs before breaking her maiden Dec. 10 over the synthetic at Turfway Park to conclude her juvenile season. The chestnut began her year with a close runner-up effort Jan. 8 at the venue on first-time Lasix and finished third in a stacked rendition of the Valdale S. Feb. 12 and most recently overcame a bump at the start of a local allowance Apr. 16 to draw clear by four lengths.

Allowed to settle after the break here, the 7-2 third choice tracked from last early and quickly made up ground from that rail spot coming into the lane. Under right-hand urging from Emma-Jayne Wilson, Beautiful Empire kicked into high gear in the final furlong to clear rivals and win by 1 1/2 lengths over Aubrieta (Speightster). Diabolic (Ire) (Dark Angel {Ire}) rounded out the Casse trifecta. The time for the six-furlongs was only just off the track record set by the venerable Pink Lloyd (Old Forester).

“I was actually angling to go to the outside, and the rail kind of opened up,” said Wilson post race. “Good horses, when you ask them, they run. And that's exactly what happened. She's been running lights out the whole winter. She was primed for a big effort. It was a big effort last time and she stepped up again today.”

The victress is her dam's first black-type earner and second winner from three to race. She has a 2-year-old half-brother by American Pharoah. Humor Me Colonel is expecting a foal by Munnings this season. She is also the fourth stakes winner for her young sire (by Pioneerof the Nile). Click for the Equibase.com chart or VIDEO, sponsored by TVG.

STAR SHOOT S., C$131,500, Woodbine, 4-30, 3yo, f, 6f (AWT), 1:08.70, ft.
1–BEAUTIFUL EMPIRE, 120, f, 3, by Classic Empire
                1st Dam: Humor Me Colonel, by Colonel John
                2nd Dam: Halo Humor, by Distorted Humor
                3rd Dam: Gilded Halo, by Gilded Time
($320,000 Ylg '20 KEESEP). 1ST BLACK TYPE WIN. O-John C. Oxley; B-Springhouse Farm (KY); T-Mark E. Casse; J-Emma-Jayne Wilson. C$75,000. Lifetime Record: 7-3-1-1, $157,494.
2–Aubrieta, 122, f, 3, Speightster–Amethea, by Henny Hughes. O/B-Manfred & Penny Conrad (ON); T-Mark E. Casse. C$30,000.
3–Diabolic (Ire), 124, f, 3, Dark Angel (Ire)–Seafront (GB), by Foxwedge (Aus). (£90,000 Ylg '20 GOFOR). O-D. J. Stable LLC and Nexus Racing Club; B-Yeomanstown Stud (IRE); T-Mark E. Casse. C$13,750.
Margins: 1HF, HD, 1. Odds: 3.60, 3.45, 2.35.
Also Ran: Howdyoumakeurmoney, Miss Alacrity, Parlance.

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